C5 Looking for a property

If it hadn't been the middle of the night, in a poorly insulated rental apartment, Alex and Amelia would have probably been screaming with excitement.

1.3 million dollars.

How many years of hard work would it have taken for them to make that much? Realistically, they could never have earned this much in their entire lives. But now, in just over two months, they had done the unimaginable.

"Can we withdraw it now?" Amelia asked in a hushed tone, her eyes wide with disbelief.

"Let's do it tomorrow," Alex said with a smile. "The money's safe in the account; it's not going anywhere."

Withdrawing the funds was straightforward, but Alex didn't plan to cash out the entire amount. He intended to reinvest a portion of it. However, this time he wouldn't risk the entire amount—Amelia would never agree to that, and he didn't want her to go through the stress again.

If it meant earning a bit less, so be it. He was already more than satisfied with their gains.

Compared to the truly wealthy, $1.3 million might not seem like much. But for Alex, in both his previous and current lives, this was a life-changing sum of money.

He didn't have grand ambitions. Unlike the protagonists of the rebirth novels he had read, he didn't aspire to become a billionaire or the richest man in the world.

His goals were simple: achieve financial freedom and provide a comfortable, worry-free life for Amelia and Sophie. That was all he wanted.

Alex and Amelia were too excited to sleep. They stayed up talking until nearly dawn, finally drifting off in exhaustion.

Alex awoke to a tickling sensation on his nose. Opening his eyes, he saw Sophie standing beside him, using strands of Amelia's hair to tease his face.

Amelia was still asleep, her expression serene and her posture less-than-graceful. A sweet smile played on her lips. Alex couldn't resist leaning over and giving her a gentle kiss.

"Daddy, I want a kiss too!" Sophie exclaimed, giggling.

Alex chuckled and planted a kiss on his daughter's cheek. "Happy now?" he asked.

Sophie grinned. "Now I want to kiss Mommy!" she declared, leaning in to kiss Amelia on the cheek. Amelia stirred slightly but didn't wake.

After getting Sophie out of bed, Alex helped her brush her teeth. "Let's see how clean they are," he said as Sophie bared her little teeth.

"Hmm, nice and clean! Good job, Sophie," Alex praised. Her gap-toothed smile was as bright as ever. Thanks to Amelia's strict rules about sugar, Sophie's teeth were in far better shape than most kids her age.

Once they were ready, Alex decided to take Sophie out for breakfast. There was a local noodle shop nearby that he and Amelia often visited.

"Morning, boss. One large beef noodle soup with two eggs, and just a touch of chili oil," Alex said as he walked into the cozy, air-conditioned shop.

Even though it was only nine in the morning, the place was already buzzing with customers. Alex found an empty table and sat down with Sophie. He handed her a small carton of milk with a straw, which she happily sipped on while waiting.

A few minutes later, the owner brought over a steaming bowl of noodles. Alex transferred some noodles, beef, and egg to a smaller bowl for Sophie, making sure to leave out any chili oil.

As Alex mixed a generous spoonful of chili oil into his own bowl, turning the broth a fiery red, he glanced at Sophie. "Not too spicy for you, is it?"

"Nope! It's yummy!" Sophie said between bites, happily munching away.

After breakfast, Alex packed up some food to go for Amelia. When they got home, Amelia was awake and brushing her teeth.

"I brought you some beef noodles," Alex called out.

"Thanks," Amelia replied, emerging from the bathroom in her pajamas and sitting down to eat.

"Alex, how about we go house-hunting today?" Amelia suggested between bites.

"What kind of house do you think we should buy?" Alex asked with a smile.

He knew that buying property in a booming city like theirs was practically guaranteed to pay off. Within a few years, the value could easily double or triple. More importantly, buying a home would give Amelia peace of mind, which mattered most to him.

"Now that we have the money, we should get something bigger and in a better location," Amelia said, her eyes shining with excitement.

Previously, she had agonized over budgets and locations, trying to make the most out of limited options. But now, those worries were gone. Over the past few months, Amelia had thoroughly researched the housing market and knew which areas to focus on.

After reviewing a few listings together, they narrowed their choices down to two properties: Shoreline Heights Residences in Seattle and Hillside Vista Estates in Bellevue.

Both developments offered ready-to-move-in, fully furnished apartments. Although the prices were higher than pre-construction options, the convenience of immediate occupancy made them appealing.

The first property they visited was a spacious 1,660-square-foot apartment on the 32nd floor of New Shoreline Heights Residences in Seattle. It had an open floor plan with north-south exposure, excellent ventilation, and came fully equipped with modern appliances and furniture. The price? $2,780 per square foot, bringing the total cost to $470,000, including additional fees.

Amelia was impressed by the layout and the move-in-ready condition. Just a few months ago, such a luxurious home would have been unthinkable for them.

"Mrs. Amelia, this is the best price we can offer," the agent said with a practiced smile. "This unit has everything—an excellent layout, a high floor, and top-notch amenities. It's very popular, so if you wait too long, it might be gone."

Still, Amelia hesitated. The price was steep, and she wanted to negotiate further. But the agent, experienced in her trade, refused to budge.

Finally, Amelia turned to Alex. "Let's go check out the Hillside property before deciding," she said.

After all, they had two properties to choose from. While the first one was impressive, who was to say the second wouldn't be even better? Taking the time to explore all options was the smartest move.

Alex smiled and nodded. When it came to buying a house, he trusted Amelia's judgment completely. In their previous life, Amelia had handled most of the decisions about buying and renovating their home. She had a keen eye for details Alex often overlooked.

Seeing Amelia ready to leave, the sales agent grew anxious. She quickly offered to consult her manager to see if they could lower the price. But Amelia smiled politely and said, "It's always good to compare. Let's stay in touch on whatsApp, Miss."

With that, the family hailed a cab and headed to Hillside Vista Estates in Bellevue.

The Second Property

The second property was slightly cheaper but offered larger layouts, with units spanning over 1,800 square feet. Alex leaned toward the idea of getting a bigger place.

After touring the property, they were both impressed. Now came the hard part: deciding between the two options.

The unit they liked at Hillside was just as well-designed as the one at Shoreline Heights Residence. It was also move-in ready and came with a competitive price tag of $2,590 per square foot, totaling around $490,000 with all fees included.

The Decision

Alex briefly entertained the idea of buying both properties. Given the rapid growth in real estate values, he was confident that they would triple their investment in the coming years. However, it wasn't practical to allocate all their funds to real estate. Diversification was key.

After some discussion, they decided to go with the unit at Hillside Vista Estates. The reasons were clear: it was slightly larger, more affordable, and conveniently located near Amelia's workplace. No more early-morning commutes for her.

Of course, Alex still hoped Amelia would eventually consider quitting her job to explore other opportunities, but that decision was hers to make.

Once the price was finalized, they wasted no time in putting down a deposit. Feeling celebratory, Alex suggested taking the family to a nearby seafood restaurant.

The family had never been to a seafood restaurant before. With their newfound financial freedom, it felt like the perfect time to indulge in something special.

Alex had also initiated a withdrawal of $500,000 from Coinbase. Amelia didn't question his decision, and Alex let out a small sigh of relief. He had worried she might insist on withdrawing everything, which would have led to a more challenging conversation.

"Honey, Sophie, let's go have a seafood feast!" Alex declared, lifting Sophie into his arms with a wide grin.

"Yay! I want shrimp!" Sophie squealed with delight.

Alex laughed. He remembered a time when he'd been scrolling through TikTok and stumbled across a food blogger devouring a giant lobster. Sophie had seen it too and had begged for the same, but back then, Alex and Amelia were saving every penny for a down payment. A luxury like lobster was out of the question.

Now, things were different. They could finally afford to treat themselves.

Amelia smiled as she watched Alex and Sophie. The house was nearly theirs, and she had her family by her side. A sense of calm and security settled over her. For the first time in a long while, she felt truly at peace.

By the time the family returned home, it was already past 4 PM. The scorching heat of the day had left them all exhausted. On the cab ride back, Sophie had fallen asleep in Alex's arms.

After laying Sophie down on the bed, Alex washed his face and flopped down beside her. Amelia, however, was still awake, scrolling through her phone.

"Alex, Bitcoin's price has dropped to $15,000," Amelia said suddenly, her tone tinged with relief. "Good thing we sold when we did."

A drop from $18,000 to $15,000 was no small fall. The thought of what they might have lost if they'd held on longer made her uneasy.

"This dip might go as low as $13,000," Alex replied with a smile.

Amelia turned to him, eyebrows raised. "You're thinking of getting back in, aren't you?"

"There's probably one more rally coming. It'll be short, though," Alex said confidently.

"How do you always know these things? If it were me, I'd have cashed out long ago," Amelia admitted.

If Alex had followed her cautious approach earlier, they might have missed out on the bulk of their profits. In hindsight, she realized just how valuable his foresight had been.

Unintentionally, Amelia found her own mindset shifting. The money had come so easily that it was hard not to think of their gains as almost inevitable.

Despite her earlier anxieties, she now felt a cautious excitement about the possibilities ahead.